JHAPA: A herd of 22 elephants that had been roaming and staying in community forests across Jhapa for nearly a month returned to India on Monday morning, according to elephant conservation campaigner Shankar Luitel.
The herd, which included several calves, had been creating problems in Bahundangi, Shantinagar and surrounding areas. Residents in northeastern Jhapa had been living in fear after the elephants damaged houses, destroyed paddy crops, trampled farmland and broke betel nut trees.
The herd’s return to India has brought considerable relief to local residents, who said the animals appeared to have returned to their natural habitat. Local resident Neelkantha Tiwari said the threat had eased to some extent following the herd’s departure.
However, residents remained on alert after a lone elephant entered a settlement in Ward No. 7 of Birtamod Municipality on Monday morning. Locals fled their homes after spotting the elephant in their courtyards. According to journalist Pushpa Baral, the elephant wandered through the settlement before heading toward a tea plantation in Butabari about four hours later.
Elephants frequently enter Nepal from India’s Assam and West Bengal forests by crossing the Mechi River and entering through Bahundangi in search of food and shelter.
Tiwari said the solar fencing along the Nepal-India border has deteriorated with age, making it easier for elephants to cross into Nepal. Elephant incursions have repeatedly caused deaths and injuries and resulted in substantial losses to crops, houses and other property in Jhapa each year.
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